


Seatbelt

by FiveLeafClover



Series: Changing Fates [1]
Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: AU, Born Lucky, Gen, s29 e05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-19 11:35:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14873030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiveLeafClover/pseuds/FiveLeafClover
Summary: If Ash had kept his seatbelt on, on the day of the crash, how would things have differed for those who were caught up in the crash?





	1. 999

**Author's Note:**

> [backdated fic, originally posted on fanfiction/net under the username InfinityAndOne, posted here 07/06/18]

Connie, Ash, Tess, Lily and Ethan were on the road to St. Stevens, to, as Connie put it,  _'raise standards across the NHS'_ , and for additional funding for their hospital.

The came up to a roundabout. Lily was studying the map for any signs of where they were and Tess was hopelessly trying to help her. Ash was sitting at the back, half focused on the map, half focused on the little amount of leg room he had. Ethan was looking around for any signs that would help, but couldn't see any. They were lost. If Connie wasn't hell-bent against using the sat-nav on Ethan's phone, they'd probably be there by now.

"Have we gone over the B2379 yet?" Lily asked Ethan, who was still trying to work out which roundabout they were on.

"Not sure…" He answered honestly.

"We're between two pages. It's really hard to see." Lily told them. Sat nav. Why couldn't they just use a sat-nav?

"Right, sorry, yes, it's Connie Beauchamp." Connie had rung St. Stevens to tell them about the holdup- this was not good, she thought. The later they were, the less time they would have. "We are going to be a little bit late. One of my most promising doctors can't read a map." She sounded more fed up by the second as she turned around to look at Lily. Ash wanted to try and help, but that meant taking his seatbelt off. It was unlikely that anything was going to happen to them, but just to be safe he hung back, keeping his seatbelt on, and watching things unfold in front of him.

"It's not my fault!" Lily fought back. "The roads aren't where they're supposed to be." Tess could see what was happening.

"Connie, this map doesn't even have the bypass on it. We're not going to get far with this." Tess told the clinical lead when she hung up the phone, looking quite annoyed. But, whatever they were going to do, they were not using a sat-nav. They were as unreliable as pig giving directions.  **(A/N Shut up.)**

"Right, give me the map." Connie instructed Lily. Ash wondered what she could do with that map, but didn't question her actions. The clinical lead went to take the map from Lily's outstretched arms when all of them heard a crash. None of them could make out what exactly was happening in the seconds where disaster struck. Something had made the van bang against the road. The car that had collided with it, sent the front right side scraping against the road, leaving the back right slightly off the cold hard floor, but when it finally stopped moving, the back of it came down with a thump.

* * *

Connie woke up to a sharp pain in her head. Why was she in pain? She found herself on her side, held in place by, was it a seatbelt? Her eyelids fluttered open as she tried to make sense of where she was. She looked around and saw a damaged windshield. Then it hit her. Being lost, the phone call, the car out of the corner of her eye, why wasn't it stopping? Dizziness, Screams, Darkness. She and her team had been swiped off the road.

"Is everyone okay? Everyone okay?" She prayed everyone was, but knew that wasn't the case. She heard Tess, thank god someone replied.

"Yeah." Tess responded. She was trying to keep as calm as she could. She wasn't as badly hurt as the others as she wasn't on the side of the van.

"Ethan?" Connie raised her hand and placed it on Ethan's shoulder, noticing the young doctor had his eyes closed, and gently shook him.

"My arm, I can't feel my arm!" Lily complained. Tess placed her hand on the F2's shoulder in a feeble attempt to comfort her.

"Ethan, can you hear me?" No response from the doctor. Connie was growing increasingly more worried for her team.

"Ash?" Tess questioned. She could him from when she turned her head. He was conscious but looked like he was in slight pain. "You okay?"

"Yeh." Was all he could offer. He was focusing more on his shoulder which, at best, seemed dislocated. He thought about his neck, it seemed fine, there was no pain, and what he could feel, there were no cuts on his head. He looked around in the van. Lily was complaining about loss of sensation in her arm. That would probably be because, like Ash, she was on the side that scraped against the ground. Tess and Connie looked better than he or Lily. They were conscious at least. His gaze then drew to Ethan. He hadn't said anything, and he saw Connie's attempt to get a response from him. Nothing.

Lily wanted to hear Ethan, she cared for the man. "Ethan?" She cried. There was no reply. Combined with the freight she felt, the worry for Ethan, and the pain she was in, she couldn't contain her sobs.

Connie placed her fingers on the inside of Ethan's neck and felt for a pulse. There better be a pulse. There was, but only just. She thought she better tell the others. "Pulse is very weak." Tess looked towards her hopelessly, Ash mirrored this reaction. If they didn't get Ethan out soon, he wouldn't make it.

They needed an ambulance. Connie, Tess and Ash knew they had to keep calm. Especially for Lily. If she couldn't keep calm, they needed to. Connie struggled to reach her phone which had fallen down. She was conscious that her right arm was throbbing, but that wasn't important at this stage.

"Get me out!" Lily pleaded, between her sobs.

"Lily it's fine." Connie said. She knew it wasn't fine. They all knew it wasn't fine. Tess could tell Lily was panicking, and the last thing she wanted Lily to do was have a panic attack. Her breathing was already quickening from anxiety.

"Just try and breathe. It's going to be okay." Tess told the younger woman while rubbing her arm. It wasn't helping comfort her, but it was better than nothing.

Connie dialed 999 and put the phone to her ear. "Ambulance, please. We need an ambulance." She panted, becoming increasingly aware of the pain that resided in her arm, of Lily's sobs, of Ash's grunts of pain, of Tess's attempts to comfort Lily, and of the still unconscious Ethan. "There's been…there's been a car crash." Connie was trying to fill the operator in with as much detail as possible.

"My arm hurts!" Lily continued crying out. She felt stressed, worried, and panicked. Tess continued trying to console her. Ash undid his seatbelt and tried to keep his shoulder out of harm's way as best he could as he turned the right way up and moved closer to Tess and Lily.

"Lily, you've got to stay calm okay? I know it's hard, but you just have to try." Ash had stepped in to try and help Lily. Both Tess and he were failing to calm the young doctor down. Ash saw Connie put down the phone and look over to them.

All of them knew this was far from good.


	2. Awake or Asleep

"When the ambulance arrives, we're going to have to try and get out." Ash suggested, to which Connie nodded. Neither of them wanted to move just yet- they just wanted to let the pain subside as much as it could.

Lily's panicked sobs could still be heard in the background, and Tess wasn't doing a fantastic job of calming her- but she was doing enough. "How is he?" Tess enquired quietly, gesturing towards the still unconscious Ethan.

"He needs to get out as soon as possible." Connie's shaking voice said. Their priority was Ethan and Lily. Tess, Connie and Ash seemed a lot better and, from what they could gather, only had minor injuries. With Connie still trying to rouse Ethan, and Tess calming Lily slightly, Ash decided it was time to try and get out of the van. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, and his shoulder would give him more problems, but he had to at least try.

"Connie, I'm going to try and get out, okay?" It was more of a statement than a question, he just needed to tell her what was going on.

"Okay, be careful, Ash." She warned him. Aware that her voice was shaking, she tried to hide it as best she could, for the sake of her team.

Ash looked around. His shoulder hurting more with every movement. The only possible exit was kicking open the boot- but that would cause movement in the van- probably not what Lily needed at the moment. It was the only, way, and he mentally apologised to everyone when he sat down, grasping his shoulder, and trying to kick the boot open.

Ash was trying to hide his groans and grunts of pain as best he could as the movement was causing the pain that really wasn't necessary.

Finally…just finally. The boot was open and Ash clambered out. Stumbling onto the road, he was over the moon to be out there, and things were finally looking up.

He didn't even bother to see the driver of the other vehicle, as he was focused on Connie who was also trying to get out through the open window. He ran around and Ash started to help Connie out of the van just as an ambulance arrived. Jeff and Dixie's ambulance. Neither of them had ever felt so happy to see their friends.

The two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance, knowing haste was key in this situation. Dixie and Jeff immediately saw Ash and Connie as they looked over at the wreckage. Their friends were in a serious RTC. This was not good. They snapped themselves out of their frozen state and ran over to Connie and Ash, who had just finished helping Connie out. Ash tried to forget about the pain in his shoulder, and Connie did about her arm. Tess insisted on staying inside the damaged van to be with Lily and monitor Ethan.

Dixie ran over to the green car which had collided with the van, while Jeff decided to see to Ash and Connie. "Right, you two okay?" He inquired to the two doctors stood shaking before him. They nodded, more focused on Ethan and Lily.

"Please, help the others…?" Connie asked. Her tone said desperate, helpless. Ash knelt down, clutching his shoulder, and peered into the van.

"Let's prioritise, okay? Talk me through it. Who's first, Ethan?" Jeff asked Connie and Ash.

"Ethan, he's unconscious. He's trapped; he has a slowing heart rate." Connie said to Jeff. She stared on at her colleagues in the van, feeling utterly helpless and unable to continue. Ash took over just in time.

"Lily has a suspected brachial plexus injury. No movement and loss of sensation in the upper arm." Ash relayed to Jeff. "Connie has an injury to her wrist, and I think my shoulder may be dislocated." He continued. "Tess has some cuts on her face, but nothing else as far as we can decipher."

"Your necks are okay, yeah?" Jeff knew it was probably a stupid question, considering they were all moving, but decided to ask anyway. He received three nods while hearing the background noise of Lily sobbing. "Dix, can you chase the other unit please?" He called to his partner; they needed to be here as soon as possible under the circumstances. He heard Dixie say she was  _'on it'_ , and looked back into the van.

"Ethan's Resp rates dropping." Tess informed them. Lily seemed to stop feeling the pain for a second when she thought about Ethan dying. Which, at this point, was a possibility.

"Get him out, please, get him out." She cried, while straining to look at Ethan's still form.

"This isn't looking good, Jeff." Ash muttered to him. "We need to get them out as soon as." Jeff observed the paleness to Ethan's usually olive skin. His blood covered face, and the breathing difficulties he was having. He remembered only a few days previously, when he worked with Ethan on a floor collapse. He was amazing in that, and now, he was the one in serious trouble. He was too young to die, and Jeff wasn't going to let that happen.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay. Just, keep breathing." Tess continued to try and calm the F2, but without luck. She was trying to calm down herself, her doctor mode kicking in, but the pain in her arm was awful.

"Right, can you call Charlie? He needs to know what's happening." Jeff told Connie who had her phone in hand. She agreed without objection, wondering how he was going to tell the rest of the staff.

The phone rang for a couple of seconds, and Connie prayed and hoped that Charlie would pick up, despite the cool air that lingered between the two.  _"Connie, what can I do for you?"_

"Charlie, oh Charlie. We've been…in a car accident. A car…er…car swiped us. You need to tell everyone." She hung up the phone, not wanting to relay any more information. She didn't want to repeat what had happened. Not yet anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter done and dusted! I hope you enjoyed this. This won't be very long. Please review?


	3. Extraction

"Right," Jeff said, talking directly to Dixie, "Lily and Tess should come out first. They're easier to get out." He decided. "That'll leave us time to focus on Ethan." Dixie didn't object- in fact, she was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Shouldn't we get Ethan out first?" Ash interjected. "I mean, he is declining…rapidly…" He spoke through a lump in his throat, and his voice cracked. Jeff, however, shook his head.

"It will be easier getting Ethan out if we aren't worrying about two other people in the same car, Ash." Jeff informed him. As much as Ash disagreed- these were the paramedics who made these decisions a lot. He knew he could trust them.

"Okay, okay. How're we going to get Lily out though?" Yep, that was the question playing on everyone's minds.

"Well, we're going to have to ger her out through the top- there's no other way." Dixie choked.

"And risk a spinal injury- I mean, we don't even know if she has one, but if she does…" Connie trailed off. It was true, they would be risking further injury to Lily, but it was the only way.

"We have to, there really isn't another option." Ash spoke in a monotone. One thing was certain- Lily needed to get out of that smashed up van, the panic in her cries was unmistakable.

Jeff spoke through the van to Tess, informing her of what was going to happen. "Right, Tess, you're going to have to climb out now, then help us get Lily out…of the top…" He spoke cautiously, and could see the wariness in Tess' eyes, but was thankful she didn't say anything against the suggestion. All she did was nod.

"Lily, we're going to get out now, okay? But, I need you to be really calm, okay, just breathe." Tess poke soothingly to the F2.

"No…don't leave me…Tess…" She sobbed, tears running down her cheeks.

"It will only be for a few minutes, okay. You'll be in the ED in no time." Tess told her, rubbing a hand on her shoulder- not really certain that it was doing any good. No answer form Lily made Tess assume that it was okay for Tess to leave her for a minute or so.

"Right, ready Tess?" Jeff asked, ready and waiting to help her. He saw her nod and then the unbuckling of her seat belt. "Right, slowly…carefully…" He told her. There was no use to that, but knowing there was someone there made Tess feel slightly better. Tess had to try and control where she put her feet as best she could in a side-swiped vehicle. Already, she was having trouble not falling over, and there weren't many places to put her feet.

Jeff had taken to climbing on top of the van in order to help Tess- no matter how certain he was that he was going to fall. Dixie, Connie, and Ash watched as Tess scrambled her way out, with the help of Jeff, who hoisted her up. Jumping off the van, Jeff helped Tess off, noting that she didn't have any serious injuries.

"How're they doing still?" Connie piped up, looking towards Ethan and Lily, but aiming the question towards Tess.

"Lily seems very stressed, I don't know the extent of her injuries, but her pulse is okay. She is in pain, but mostly just agitated." Tess whispered to them. "Ethan…seems to be declining…" She muttered, being very aware of not letting Lily hear.

"Okay, we're going to have to get Lily out as soon as, and get her off to the hospital." Dixie said, snapping them out of their concerned glances towards Ethan.

The other crew came with a board and collar prepared for Lily, while Jeff and Dixie decided the best way to get Lily out. It was hard trying to find a way to get her out without causing any possible further injury.

Ash was sitting on the cold road, holding his shoulder, trying to work out how this happened, while Connie was keeping an eye on Lily, and every so often, trying to comfort her. They were both woken out of their bubbles by Jeff and Dixie, who told them how they were going to deal with Lily.

After 15 minutes, Lily was out and on the spinal board- ready to go to the ED. "Get them off! Get them off me!" Lily screeched. She hated feeling completely useless, utterly scared, and terribly petrified about this entire situation. She could hear Connie in the background trying to calm her down, and Ash trying to wake Ethan up.

"Lily, you're going to have to stay still and do as they say, you're doing really well." By now, Connie knew that there was no hope of calming the younger doctor. She was scared, and, who could blame her. Ash had told Tess to go with Lily in the ambulance, while he and Connie stayed at the crash site.

Jeff heard the last of Lily's cries as he turned to the lead Fire Warden explaining Ethan's situation. "Look, he's stuck fast against the steering wheel. We're going to have to get the door out to gain access, move the seat back. You're talking ten minutes at least." This was hopeless. Jeff didn't want to have to say the next sentence aloud as it would make it true, but what choice did he have?

"Look, mate. If I don't get in there sharpish, we might not have ten minutes." He told the Fire Warden gravely. Jeff knew it wasn't looking good for Ethan, and he really needed to be in a hospital as soon as possible.

"Er…I can give you access through the front windshield, is that any good?" The Fire Warden suggested. It wasn't the best idea, and it would be easier to get Ethan out using the first idea, but it was the second best option.

"Yes it is. Thanks mate. Cheers." Jeff walked over to where Ash and Connie were. He looked at Ash, and then at Ethan, who was the only person left in the van.

"Still nothing. We need to get in there fast, Jeff." Ash's voice took on a solemn tone. Jeff knew that he and Connie had to go back to the ED to get checked out.

"Okay, Connie, Ash, you need to go now." Jeff suggested, though his tone told them is was more of an order than a suggestion.

"No, I want to stay with Ethan." Connie fought back. She knew she wasn't going to win, but it doesn't hurt to try, does it?

"I second that." Ash said, smiling slightly at how much Connie has changed, and how much she does actually care for her staff.

"I don't think so. You two have been in a serious accident." Jeff opposed.

"We just want to make sure he's okay." Ash told him. Neither of them wanted to leave the crash site, but both of them knew they needed to.

"I'm sure you would, but you both have injuries, and you both need to be formally assessed. You know the drill." He saw both Ash and Connie shake their heads. "Okay, well how about one of you stays, and one of you goes." He tried to reason with them. At this point, Ash would be better going due to his shoulder, but, then again, Connie's arm didn't look to good either.

"Well then, who stays?" Connie asked.

"You stay, I'll go. Maybe I can help out back at the ED." Ash said reluctantly. As much as he wanted to stay, he would probably be better back at the ED, and his shoulder could have some help as well. Connie and Jeff agreed with him. "Will you keep me posted?" Ash asked, seriously.

"Course." Jeff said with a smile, not that is was very reassuring, but a smile at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was having real trouble trying to write down Lily coming out of the van, as I don't know how they did it in Casualty, and I just really couldn't think of anything to write- so, sorry about the time skip.
> 
> Please review?!


	4. Gather Round

They were finally on their way to the hospital. Tess was calming down Lily as much as she could, Ash was sitting against the side of the ambulance, leaning back with closed eyes, still trying to figure out how all this happened.

"It's okay, Lily. It'll be alright." Tess comforted her. Lily just wouldn't stay still, and it was obvious she was in pain. "Just keep breathing that it, okay?" Tess told her, motioning towards the entonox in Lily's hand. She had almost forgotten about it in her panicked state, but took a grateful breath of it in.

"When will we be there?" Lily asked, calming ever so slightly. Tess smiled warmly at her, before answering.

"Not long, Lily. Just, try and slow your breathing." Tess said to her, noticing Lily's breathing picking up a notch. She let Lily synchronise her breathing with her own, and found it helped a bit.

Cal was having a terrible day. The two people from his past who he made a right mess with had shown up, and now, he had been told he had a son- a son which he never knew about. This was just brilliant. Little did he know that in the next few minutes, his world would be turned upside down.

"Right, gather round everyone, please. Gather round." Charlie called to the department, and allowed time for everyone to be there, taking to standing by the computers. What threw everyone off was the look on his face- nothing good would ever come of that. "I need your full attention."

Everyone was eager to hear what he had to say. "I'm afraid there's been a car accident, involving our doctors, and Tess." Cal's world crashed down beside him, and he was left alone- floating, without air. Ethan. Ethan was in that accident. Ethan was driving. Was it Ethan's fault? "Paramedics are on site, treating Casualties, one is serious." What if the serious one was Ethan? Cal subconsciously tapped on the desk anxiously. Everyone's heart dropped. Ash, Lily, Tess, Connie and Ethan were in a car accident. Robyn threw a concerned glance Max's way, and he knew what it meant. They both saw how Cal's behaviour turn dramatically, and they felt horrid, but no one knew how Cal felt- for his  _brother_  was in a car accident. "The driver of the other vehicle is on his way in, right now…" Charlie was interrupted by a very shaken up Cal.

"…and how about the driver of our vehicle?" He needed to know, he just did. He needed to know if Ethan was going to be alright.

"That's all I know." Cal sighed, out of anxiousness and frustration. He  _needed_  to know how his little brother was doing. The world had stopped, and Cal knew it wouldn't start until Ethan was safe, when Ethan was alive, and well. When Ethan was with him. "I do know that it's going to be difficult treating our own, and I know that we're all going to be a bit worried." Cal couldn't keep still. "Can I ask one thing? No heroes. Alright? If you feel that the pressure is getting to you, or that your concentration is slipping- I need to know. There is no shame in sitting this one out, okay?" The answer was only worried nods and panicked looks. "Right, you two folks, with me." Charlie pointed to Cal and Robyn. Robyn attempted to put a calming hand on Cal's arm, but he moved out of the way too quickly, aiming to interrogate Charlie some more.

"Charlie…" Cal's voice became quitter, more serious. "…how serious is it?" Robyn was eager to hear the answer to this question too, but Charlie didn't know.

"All I know is what I've just said to everyone else." He answered plainly, wishing so much that he had more information too.

"But…but how did it happen?" Robyn questioned Charlie as they were nearing the doors to the ED. From where they were, they could see Tess, Ash and someone on a spinal board.

"The way it sounds is the other vehicle just swiped them straight off the road." Cal could breathe easier again, it wasn't Ethan's fault. It was the other driver's fault. Then Ash was there. Cal had to ask him. He had to ask after his brother.

"Ash, is Ethan okay? What's happening?" Ash faulted. Ethan was the serious casualty and it wasn't looking good, but did he want to tell Cal that…it might throw him off his game. Then again, Cal deserved to know- Ethan was his younger brother.

"Er…he's trapped, and unconscious." Ash told him, deciding not to say any more than that. So he wouldn't be interrogated more, he quickly gave Cal a patient. Cal couldn't help but throw an evil glance at the driver of the other vehicle, but, at the end of the day- he was a doctor and this was his patient. He had to be professional.

Charlie had to ask further about Ethan. He could tell by Ash's tone that it didn't seem good. "Detail Ash- how is he?"

"It's not looking good, Charlie." He answered gravely. Charlie knew what that meant. It really would be touch and go- especially because he's trapped.

"What about you?" Ash had almost forgotten about his arm in amongst all the drama, but now he thought about it, it hurt…it defiantly hurt.

"Probably dislocated." He answered plainly. Charlie nodded and noticed that Lily was in the background, but kept his focus on Ash.

"Well, we'll get that see to, okay?" Ash just nodded in answer because Lily was now being taken it. Charlie took Ash in and Lily followed with Tess, Robyn and two paramedics.

She was stressed, anxious, and panicked. All the things it was bad to be in a situation like this one. "MRI. I need an MRI scan." Robyn had the urge to smile. Lily's doctor side was still intact.

"Come on, doctors already have a reputation for being bad patients, don't make it any worse!" Tess joked to try and lighten the situation, but Lily was still panicking.

"Morphine, morphine." Lily panted, taking another breath of entonox. It wasn't doing much- she thought, and morphine was stronger. She just wanted the pain to go.

"Right, you just keep sucking on that-we'll get you the good stuff in a minute." Robyn comforted her, doubting it would do any good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, chapter 4 done! I hope you enjoyed it! Casualty tonight...I hope Connie doesn't get locked up, and I wonder if anything will go on between Cal and Ethan!
> 
> On the note of 'Shtum' I've hit a bit of a snag and can't find the words for that story. Should be up sometime before Friday. Sorry!
> 
> If you have a spare moment, can you review?


	5. Awake

Robyn grew increasingly worried for the younger doctor, and could tell that she obviously didn't fare well in panicked situations. "It's okay, Lily, it will be okay."

"But, it's hurts! It really hurts!" She sobbed, aware of the tears now falling from her eyes. Then she felt swift movement- she had obviously just been transferred onto another bed. All she wanted was the pain to subside, to see Ethan, to forget about this day, to forget any of this ever happened.

Ethan opened his eyes and felt a pain in his chest. He was lying on his side, up against something. What was happening? "Ethan?" He wondered who's the voice was. He felt confused. "It's Jeff." Okay, right, Jeff. Hang on, why was Jeff there? "You've been in a car accident mate." What? Car accident? Then he remembered. There were screams, dizziness, and darkness. "Can you stay still for me, alright?" He nodded his head, ever so slightly, so Jeff could see that he heard. Maybe not the best thing to do after an accident, but he didn't feel up to talking at the moment.

Dixie stood up and spoke. "Right, we need to get a line in. I'm on it." She grew increasingly worried for the young doctor as she ran over to the ambulance. She saw Tamsin and Mac arrive in the other ambulance.

"Wow. How fast was the other car going?" She half exclaimed, half asked. Before her she knew it was probably quite fast- fast enough to swipe a van onto its side anyway.

"Well, we'll let the traffic cops deal with that." Dixie said bluntly to her fellow paramedic as she handed the saline bag over to Tamsin instructing her to take it to Jeff. Tamsin listened to her say something to Mac in the background, making her worried. Then she saw Connie and her worst fears were confirmed.

"Mac, you can help me with the spinal board. As soon as that doors off, we're getting Ethan out." Tamsin was trying to process everything that was happening. She ran over to Jeff's and Connie's side, and they were looking into the van. Connie was talking to a barely conscious Ethan, while Jeff had a grim look on his face.

"Is that Ethan?" Tamsin knew the answer; she just needed to hear it for it to be true.

"Yeah. Worst case scenario isn't it. Vehicle full of your mates." Jeff told her. They continued to talk while Connie tried to keep Ethan focused on him and nothing else.

"You're doing really well Ethan, okay? You'll be absolutely fine." She continued. Ethan was too tired to think logically, so the doctor part of him took a step back and he really didn't know how badly he'd come out of this. "We'll soon get you out."

"Right, come on everyone. Let's get this windshield out as quick as we can." The fire warden said. Jeff smiled, happy that they would finally make some progress, because Ethan's chances were not looking good. He needed to update Ethan.

"Right, not long Ethan, we'll have you out." Jeff told him, trying to be as reassuring as he could be.

"It's really…really cold." Ethan breathed. He could barely string a sentence together, and yet Ethan really was feeling the cold and hoped, soon, that he could be warm again. He was scared, and wanted Cal. For the first time in years, he wanted his brother.

"I know." Connie consoled him. "Not long." Connie reassured the younger doctor, who looked panic stricken. Thoughts, jumbled thoughts rushed through Ethan's mind. He couldn't really make sense of anything.

"Is...every...one...else...sa...fe?" He panted, hoping that they all were. He'd want them to be safe before he was.

"Not to worry, Ethan. Ash is back at the ED with Lily and Tess." Connie informed him, smiling slightly at the concern Ethan showed despite him own situation.

"Okay! Let's go!" The fire incident officer called. They were all relieved. Tamsin pulled a reluctant Connie aside.

"Look, while they're getting Ethan out, why don't I help you with that?" She gestured towards her bruised wrist and she nodded gratefully. In all honestly, she'd kind of forgotten about her wrist, but now she mentioned it, it really was hurting.

Connie could faintly see the windshield being cut away while Tamsin was putting her hand in a temporary splint. "Thanks." She said, gratefully.

"No problem." She replied, before she and Connie made their way over to the smashed up van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it is shorter than other chapters! Thoughts?


	6. The ED

They were finally in the ambulance away from the crash site. "Keep him conscious." Dixie told Connie, gesturing to Ethan, who seemed to be struggling to stay awake. They both looked at each other solemnly- Ethan's condition wasn't looking good. They heard Jeff shout something from the front.

"How's it looking back there?" He asked, while swerving through a red light.

"Put your foot on it, Jeff!" Dixie shouted back in answer- hoping Jeff would speed up a little more. They received no answer from the driver of the ambulance, but felt it speed up ever so slightly.

Connie looked at Ethan's blood-stained pale face, wondering just who would treat him. Ash had a dislocated shoulder, she couldn't do much with her injury, and god knows who else would be available. Then it clicked- Cal.

"I've just had a phone call from Connie." Ash told Charlie after Charlie re-located his shoulder, in turn, putting it in a sling. "Ethan's coming in." Neither of them realised how close Cal was at this moment, until he strode up to them- sheer worry on his face.

"Is he alright?" He asked worriedly. Ash knew not to lie to him- but he knew Cal would have to treat him- for there was no one else.

"He's not in a good way, Cal." Ash answered. Cal's face significantly paled.

"Can I treat him?" Ash was glad he wasn't the one to tell Cal, and nodded to Cal. Cal was thankful that he got to treat Ethan, so much that he dared smile a little.

"Wait…is that a good idea? He's your brother, Cal." Charlie interrupted. Cal looked ready to fight his corner, but Ash got in there first.

"There is no one else, Charlie. Connie's got a bad wrist, my arms in a sling…" He trailed off, knowing he didn't really know what condition Lily was in, but he needn't say anymore, for Charlie agreed with him. "I will be observing though, Cal." Ash told him, before he walked off with Charlie, leaving Cal to stand still in spot, worrying about his brother.

Ethan didn't know much about anything. He was too confused. He could feel exhaustion creeping up on him. He could feel pain in his chest. He had a headache, and he couldn't breathe very well. He knew he had been in a car accident, he knew that he was in an ambulance. He didn't know much else. He had already tried to think about what condition he was in, but he felt too weak to process anything like that.

"Come on, Ethan. Stay awake." Connie persisted in an unnaturally gentle tone. "Just a little longer." She continued upon noticing how Ethan kept closing his eyes. Every so often, you could see the struggle he has in keeping his eyes open. Connie's heart broke for Cal- Ethan was after all his  _little_   _brother,_ and he would have to see the state Ethan was in- wondering if he was going to make it- which, at the moment, wasn't a strong possibility.

Cal stood by the doors to the ED, waiting for his brother. By him was Ash and Lofty. He noticed sirens in the distance- this was it. "You okay?" Lofty asked cautiously- noticing the panic stricken look on Cal's face. Cal hesitated slightly, but answered with a nod of his head- letting out a deep breath. Then he saw Jeff, Dixie and Connie- and then Ethan.

"Ethan was driving- unconscious at the scene. He's been struggling to stay conscious." Cal could see quite clearly how Ethan looked ready to fall into unconsciousness. He kept opening his eye tiredly- but he couldn't just give up. "He was trapped for 45 minutes." That wasn't good. "He's got a chest and head injury." "On arrival- his GCS was 13, pulse was 120, BP was stable at 90 systolic." Cal was trying to take in all the information that was going at 80mph over his head, still staring at his brother. He really didn't look to good. "Stats are 98%, his BM is 5. He's had 10 of morphine, and 1.5 liters of saline."

"Onto this bed here, please." Ash told them. Connie had walked off in the middle of that, so it was left for Ash, Lofty and Cal to treat Ethan. Upon transferring Ethan over, they heard him groan in pain. Cal just wanted to make Ethan's pain stop- any way he could. It was tearing him up inside.

Ash stood back, watching what was happening, and hoping Ethan would pull through. "So, all this to get out of some public speaking? There are easier ways, mate." Cal joked, trying to get Ethan to be calmer. Lofty smiled at Cal's joke, as did Ash. They could see how worried Cal was- a side they never really saw to him.

Ethan looked like he had seen Cal for the first time. He opened his eyes slightly, and his gaze focused on Cal. "Cal…" He breathed. In a way, Cal was happy that Ethan talked a little- it showed he was aware.

"No, no. Don't try and speak, okay? You'll be fine." He reassured him. Ethan needed all his strength, so Cal knew to tell him not to speak.

"Cal, we need to get him off of the board." Ash told him. Cal knew this- but was reluctant to. It meant causing Ethan more pain. "So, take the blocks away, and then we'll roll him." Ash directed. Cal nodded hastily, while he and Lofty removed the blocks and stabilised his neck.

"Ash, can you see if Jeff and Dixie are still here? We need their help to take the board away." Cal asked him. Ash nodded and went to find them- silently thankful that they were still in the ED.

"Ethan, just, keep those eyes open, okay?" Cal told him- noticing how much Ethan was struggling to stay awake. Ethan seemed to listen to that, and opened his eyes a little more- but you could see the exhaustion in them.

"Right, let's do this." Ash said when he walked back in with Jeff and Dixie. Cal nodded- unwilling as he was to cause Ethan more pain- it had to be done.

"Okay, on my count." Cal told them. "One, two, three…" He counted. Ethan was rolled onto his side, and Cal pulled out the board, wincing as he heard Ethan groan from the pain it caused. "Okay, and down, one two three…" He continued. Ethan's breathing only increased a bit during that, so Cal wasn't too worried about it. "Thank you." Cal said to them, laying his eyes back on Ethan, hoping he makes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, I'm not to pleased with this chapter, because the words didn't flow as well as I hoped, ah well! Thank you for reading!


	7. They Weren't So Lucky

Connie really hated treating the driver that was responsible for putting her team in danger. She hadn't even seen properly how Ash, Tess and Lily were doing- or whether Ethan was still alive. No, she couldn't think like that. He was in the care of his brother, and Caleb wouldn't let anything happen to his little brother. "Er…the good thing is there is no visible bleed on the CT scan, so we're going to keep you in overnight for observation." She told him shakily- on the verge of tears. Connie Beauchamp never cries though. She really wanted someone else to treat this man- but there was no one else. She just had to stick it out.

"So you're doing nothing then?!" The man gruffly interrupted. This was the final straw. He had gotten off so lucky, and he didn't even appreciate that. Connie took a deep breath in- composing herself.

"You know what. I really think you should take the positives because you are one of the lucky ones. Maybe next time, consider those people who are on the receiving end of your stupid driving." Charlie had to place a hand on Connie's arm- reassuring her slightly, bringing her back from her angry state.

"What people? I don't know these people!" Could that man be anymore selfish? It was taking all of Connie's energy now not to burst into tears. Connie had to tell this man what's what.

"Of course you don't know them. You didn't even see them. They were my team! The doctors and nurses that treat people like you. Including me!" Connie stormed away- not even registering the look that her patient had on his face. Charlie closely followed. Connie wouldn't be able to continue working like this.

Connie closed her eyes and took some steadying breaths. She was broken out of her thoughts by very concerned Charlie. "Go and rest, Connie." He told her in a comforting voice.

"No. I need to work, Charlie." She opposed, turning round to face him. "I just need to."

"Distracting yourself from what has happened won't help. You haven't even been seen to yourself." He told her- hoping she would get the message. To his luck she just started blankly at him. "Come on, I'll sort out an x-ray for that hand of yours, and check that head injury." He told her. Connie knew not to argue against him. It was for the best really.

Charlie led Connie to an empty cubicle and took of the splint that Tamsin had put on her wrist. He started inspecting it- but was stopped by a sharp intake of breath by Connie- indicating pain. "Sorry."

"How's everyone doing?" She asked, looking down at her injured wrist. It didn't look too bad- she cared more about her team.

"From what I know, Lily seems fine, and calm. Robyn is staying with her." He told her. "Ash's dislocated shoulder was relocated and his arm rests in a sling. Tess wasn't injured- just a few cuts." He paused. He didn't know about Ethan's condition, he knew less than Connie did. "I don't know about Ethan." He mentioned. Connie knew Charlie wouldn't have had the time to look in on Ethan. When she saw him- he was close to death's door.

Robyn looked over Lily's x-ray while standing by her- thankful the F2 had calmed dramatically since she had come in. It surprised Robyn how panicked Lily was- usually nothing would faze her. Today taught her wrong. "So, your CT scan's clear, and the trauma team are happy there's no brachial plexus." Lily sighed with relief- glad she was okay. Then she thought of Ethan. Before Robyn had the chance to say anything more, she questioned the nurse, for the last time she saw him- he was still unconscious.

"Do you know how Ethan is doing?" She asked innocently. Robyn shook her head. She herself hadn't seen Ethan at all- all she knew was that he had been brought it.

"Sorry, but he's in safe hands." She reassured her.

"What about everyone else?" Lily questioned again. She was in such a panicked state that she didn't know how anyone was doing- not really. Robyn didn't get the chance to answer- not that she could for she didn't know about anyone else either. Tess walked in, smiling when she found out that Lily was okay.

"How're you, Lily?" She asked calmly. She too was amazed at the panic Lily had shown.

"I'm okay, now." She replied to Tess. "Are you okay?" Lily could see Tess up and walking- with only a few cuts- so assumed she was.

"Yep, I'm fine." Tess answered simply. That was one down, three to go for Lily.

"What about everyone else?" Surely Tess would know more- after all- she was up and walking. Tess stumbled over her words for a minute.

"Ash had a dislocated shoulder. I don't know about Connie, or Ethan." Tess notified her solemnly, and made a mental note to see how they were. Lily looked down in despair. No one yet knew about Ethan- which means he is either in a really bad condition, or they are assessing him still. What Lily didn't know was that both were true.

"Thank you, Tess." Lily said, smiling warmly at the nurse. Tess returned the same warm and comforting smile and then left Robyn and Lily to it. Lily noticed that Robyn was ready to walk away. "Robyn?" She asked wearily. "Would you mind staying, just for a bit?" If Robyn asked why, Lily would have said it was for the company. Really, it was because Lily didn't think she would stand to be alone without flashes and memories of the moment the crash happened haunting her. Robyn didn't question her wishes though- but she had a good idea as to why Lily asked. Robyn nodded, agreeing to stay with Lily for a bit. She didn't' have many other patients to deal with- and she didn't want Lily being alone anyway. "Thanks, Robyn." She said to the young nurse.

"No problem." She grinned back- a gentle smile that brought Lily some comfort- although she was continuously worrying about Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with this story so far! Thoughts?


	8. It Hurts

Charlie worked in silence when looking at Connie's wrist. "Charlie…" Connie started. "Don't feel good." She breathed- slurring slightly. Charlie immediately looked up at Connie to see her face dramatically run of all colour. He knew what was happening straight away and handed her a bowl- to which she was promptly sick in. Charlie exchanged the cardboard for a tissue- which Connie cleaned herself up with.

"Connie? Connie can you hear me?" He saw her eyes darting round everywhere- like she didn't know where she was. "Connie, can you tell me where you are?" There was no answer from the Clinical Lead as her eyes closed and she collapsed. Charlie caught her just before she fell off the bed and laid her on it- calling for some assistance. Robyn arrived promptly. "We need to take her to CT. Now." Charlie said with urgency you couldn't describe. Robyn nodded in understanding- shocked to see how pale Connie looked.

"What happened?" Robyn questioned Charlie as they made their way to CT.

"She started slurring, and she was sick. Before I knew it- she collapsed." He explained swiftly. Robyn didn't ask anymore. Now two team members were in serious danger.

Ash saw how Cal was staring at his brother. "Right, so, primary survey, Cal." Ash reminded the shaken up doctor. Cal was broken out of his thoughts by Ash. He hated seeing Ethan in so much pain- it was tearing him up inside. "Okay, Cal?" He persisted. It was unfortunate that Cal was the only doctor available. Ash could see right through the strong front Cal had placed up in front of him.

"Okay, yeah. Yeah, alright." Cal agreed, diverting his attention from Ash back to his brother, starting to assess him. As soon as Cal started, Ethan brought his hand up to Cal's arm in a feeble attempt to make Cal stop.

"Cal…hurts…" Ethan breathed through the oxygen mask- unable to form a full sentence. Cal looked at his bloodstained brother and spoke as confidently as he could to him.

"I know…it's okay." He told his brother being as reassuring as he could be. Then he spoke to the nurses. "Right, let's give him another 5 of morphine, and get some more fluids as well, thank you." As Cal continued to assess his little brother- he noticed how often Ethan's eyes were closed instead of open.

"Resp rate slightly increasing." Lofty started looking at the monitors. Again- Cal wasn't too worried about this; it was only because Ethan was in pain from Cal assessing him. Cal. He was causing Ethan this pain. Cal was causing Ethan pain.

Cal almost jumped out of his skin when Charlie walked through the doors. "Ash, I need you." He said seriously.

"Will you be alright here?" Ash questioned Cal. He nodded hastily and Ash followed Charlie out of RECUS. They were heading to CT. They were heading to Connie.

Cal continued to assess his brother, and Ethan really hated it. "Please…stop…" Ethan pleaded through closed eyes and a face that indicated pain.

"Sorry little bro, but I have to. Them's the rules." He joked- though whether or not Ethan hear him was another matter. It was taking all of Ethan's energy to stay awake, and he doubted he could for much longer. Cal obviously noticed this. "Keep those eyes open for me, Ethan." Cal told him- looking worriedly at Lofty. Lofty returned this look- doubting whether Ethan would be able to fight through his current condition.

"What was it you needed me for, Charlie?" Ash questioned the nurse as they walked into CT. Charlie nodded over to the person currently in the CT scanner. It was Connie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a short one. I know where I am going with this story- but I do have one question. I've been considering killing Connie off since the start of this story- but do you think I should or not?


	9. The Trouble With Scans

Lily stood by the doors to RECUS- Robyn next to her- staring through the window at Ethan.  _At least he was conscious._  She thought. By the looks of it- he was in pain, and not in a very good way. She watched Cal treating him- marvelling at how gentle he seemed- a side to Cal which no one, bar Ethan, had seen before. "Do you think he'll make it?" Lily asked Robyn suddenly- catching her off guard. Robyn drew her gaze away from RECUS and looked at Lily- noticing how Lily's eyes were fixed on Ethan's bloodied face.

"I don't know, Lily." Robyn replied honestly- her tone soft. "But, I hope." She didn't know how Ethan was doing- but she knew she would ask Lofty when he left RECUS. "Let's go back to cubicles, yeah?" She suggested- aiming to get Lily away and she, herself, didn't want to look at the prospect of losing one of her friends. Before she could say anything more- Lily walked into RECUS.

Cal tore his gaze away from Ethan and noticed Lily and Robyn walked in. Robyn looked at Cal apologetically while Lily asked Cal, "Is he going to be okay?" Cal hesitated slightly- looking towards his brother who had his eyes scrunched tight in pain.

"He…er…yeah." He stammered out. "He's just…er…going to have a chest x-ray…then a…CT scan." He continued. In truth, he himself didn't know if Ethan was going to be okay- at least up until the scans come back. Robyn placed a hand on Lily's back, guiding her away from RECUS and back to her cubicle- not surprised Cal let out a sigh of relief when they left. She knew it must be very hard on Cal without people questioning his brother's condition.

"You look exhausted." Robyn pointed out, and Lily looked up at her- taking offence slightly. "No, no I didn't mean it like that! I just meant you should sleep for a bit." She corrected herself. Lily nodded reluctantly.

"Will you tell me if anything happens?" Lily asked cautiously to the young nurse currently stood next to her. On seeing Robyn nod, she slid down the bed and closed her eyes- falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Robyn smiled as she watched Lily fall asleep. Lily and Tess were in the best way after the accident. She knew Ash had a dodgy shoulder. She had known- been there even- when Connie was rushed to CT. And then there was Ethan, who she didn't know much about. Judging by the fact he was still in RECUS, and in a lot of pain, on oxygen, and going for a chest x-ray  _and_  CT scan, he wasn't in a good way.

The staff at Holby City ED faced the prospect of losing two of their colleagues. One was a clinical lead that no one felt particularly close to- though she had good points- and the other was a loveable doctor, and a brother. If either one of them went- nothing would be the same in the ED for a while- everyone was certain of that.

Charlie pointed to Connie's CT scan. There it was, as clear as day. Connie had a bleed. They both looked at each other- worry swimming in their eyes. Charlie had already told Ash about Connie's slurring and unconscious state, but it couldn't get any worse.

The best thing it would have been was concussion. Oh no. It was more serious. A lot more serious. "She needs to go up to theatre." Ash stated. Charlie nodded in agreement- before laying his eyes back on Connie. "Otherwise she won't make it." There really wasn't any need for Ash to point that out- Charlie already knew, having been in this profession for a long time. Before either of them could say anything more, a couple of surgeons burst through the door, enquiring about Connie and looking over the CT scan. "Charlie, I think we have a problem." Ash spoke- not taking his eyes of Connie. Charlie looked at him strangely. Of course they had a problem. Connie had a bleed in her brain- a bleed which could prove to be fatal.

"You don't say…" He retorted sarcastically. Ash sighed at Charlie's comment- but continued nonetheless.

"No, I mean, we're short of staff- two of our staff members are critically ill…" He trailed off, coming to the realisation that his next point wasn't going to be debatable. "We need Zoe back." Charlie turned to look at Ash- shocked.

"If you've forgotten, she had resigned, Ash." Charlie started- but he knew he was fighting a losing battle, for he too considered the fact that they may need Zoe.

"We need her, Charlie." Ash told him sternly. Charlie gave in and nodded- reaching for his phone to call Zoe, hoping she would come in and help them in this desperate time of need.

Deciding promptly to take Connie up to theatre, the surgeons took her away, leaving quite a shell shocked Ash in their wake. By the time Charlie had finished talking- rather debating- with Zoe, Connie was up in theatre. "She's coming as soon as she can." Charlie answered to Ash's expectant look. He breathed out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "There is one problem."

"Which is?" Ash was starting to sound panicked, and Charlie risked a smile at Ash's expense.

"We both owe her a drink." Charlie joked. Ash smiled- though his smile never reached his eyes. He just kept thinking about Connie's unconscious state, her CT scan, Ethan lying in RECUS, and not being sure if he'll pull through. One thing he was certain of was it was certainly something no one would forget in a hurry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I have kept very close to the actual episode and script, but, trust me- it is swerving away from it- expect surprises. That is an oxymoron, sorry!
> 
> Anyway, my apologies for not uploading this sooner, other things had to take priority. I would like to thank you for answering my question that I posed last chapter. I have decided what to do with Connie- after half a day thinking about it, and frequent mind-changes! Thank you for reading!


	10. She Returns

"Zoe!" Ash greeted her relieved as she walked into the doors of the ED. Many stunned colleagues watched as she strode in. They hadn't been told. They hadn't been warned. But, they were all glad. They needed all the help they could get. It was a friendly face, as well. Someone who knew them. Someone who could offer support. However silent. "Thank you for coming. Especially at such short notice."

"No problem." Zoe said back, smiling gently. Then her voice turned serious as she and Ash made their way to the staffroom. "How is everyone involved?" Charlie hadn't told her the details over the phone, and she itched to know. They were her friends. Even Connie at the best of times.

"Tess and Lily are a bit shaken up, but no harm done to either of them." Zoe released an audible breath that she hadn't realised she held in apprehension. But, not the worst part came. They walked into the staffroom; Zoe dropped her stuff and sat on the stool next to Ash- who had sat by her. "Connie has a head injury. She's in theatre at the minute." Before Ash could say anymore, he was interrupted by Zoe.

"Will she make it?" Zoe questioned worriedly, fingers crossed for the clinical lead. She may not always get along with her, but she was Connie, and Connie was a friend- even if the question in person didn't think this.

"I don't know. We have a brilliant team up there." He reassured her- not that it did much good. They did have a brilliant team up there, but even they couldn't save everyone that passed through. There was always a chance. Always a chance someone would not be saved. "I think Guy's operating on her. He won't let his number one die." Ash joked slightly- trying to ease up the tension- without much success.

"Ethan?" Zoe asked. She had grown fond of the awkward doctor who arrived less than a year before. She realised Ash left him to last. That couldn't be good. Her breath caught in her throat when he heard the words Ash muttered next.

"Touch and go, I'm afraid." He spoke, honesty and dread seeping from his tone. "He's having a chest x-ray as we speak. Should be going to CT afterwards." He continued, then thought to add in who exactly was treating him. "Cal's talking great care of him. I think his caring side might have come out." He joked slightly- to which Zoe smiled.

"What about you?" Zoe asked- gesturing towards the sling which held Ash's arm in place. Ash looked down. He had forgotten all about it. He was too worried about everyone else.

"I'm fine, just a dislocated shoulder." The answer was plain. They had no more time to talk between themselves as Charlie walked in. His face turned into one of surprise. He hadn't realised Zoe had arrived yet.

"Zoe!" Charlie spoke. It wasn't quite happiness that laced his voice- but it was as close as it could be without being happiness. "Er…just thought I'd tell you that Connie's out of theatre." He added- realising the reason he entered the staffroom in the first place. Zoe and Ash smiled at one another before turning back to Charlie.

"Is she alright?" Ash asked Charlie- though he doubted Charlie knew much anyway.

"Hopefully it's just a matter of waiting for her to wake up." Charlie hesitated. He decided to leave out the bit that read she was not in a good way in theatre, and that she nearly lost output. He knew that news wouldn't fare well.

Cal watched the CT scan. He just hoped and prayed his brother would be alright. Watching him in this condition was heart-breaking. He knew there was nothing on the chest x-ray. No broken ribs at least. He just hoped that he didn't miss anything. If he did, Ethan would be in big trouble.

Memories flashed across Cal's vision. He thought of all they had been through since he had come back to Holby. The regret was there when he returned, but Ethan and he had finally learned to get along with each other once again. To finally become brothers once again. Cal couldn't lose him. Not now. Not ever.

Zoe opened the door quietly and saw a very young, very peaceful, very innocent looking Connie. Her figure was noticeable beneath the sheets. She didn't have the usual colour in her cheeks- and she looked unwell. Her arms lay upon the sheets- her fingers looked so fragile. No one was by her, and so Zoe took to sitting in the chair by Connie's bed. She needed someone with her- even if it was Zoe.

Connie's eyes were closed, and the monitors were beeping steadily. The only noise in the room was the constant beeping. Connie had a bandage round her head where the surgery was performed. It was still touch and go for the clinical lead- but, for now, she was stable. That was all that mattered.

Zoe thought about what must have happened. By the way it sounded, a van rammed Holby's car onto its side- injuring the five involved. She knew their conditions. Two were critical. Three were minor. She just hoped the critical would pull through.

She thought of Ethan- who was still fighting. Cal must have been having a hell of a time. It shouldn't have been up to him to treat Ethan. That was his little brother. Zoe knew she probably should have taken over treating Ethan when she arrived- but, she knew Cal probably would fight against her anyway- his protective side coming out.

For now, Zoe knew she had to be with Connie. She had no one else with her- and she needed a friendly face to greet her if…no, when she woke.  _What a mess_ , Zoe thought. So many things had happened to the staff at Holby ED. It was a wonder everyone managed to get on with their day- though, today might be a different story. As long as everyone made it- then Holby would continue. As normal. That was all Zoe prayed and hoped for.

Connie had to wake up. To be okay. To get back to her clinical lead self. Ethan had to get better. To be okay. To get back to his awkward self. If there was one thing Zoe was certain of- things wouldn't be the same for a while in Holby. Not after today.

The sudden opening of the door broke Zoe out of her thoughts. A worried looking Ash spoke. "Zoe, we need your help, urgently!" His speech was rushed, but Zoe could understand. Then the name Ash spoke made her bones grow cold. "It's Ethan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Busy again…sorry! Hope you enjoyed this. It was more of a filler chapter, making Zoe come in- and a little cliff-hanger for you! Please review? It makes my day when I see someone has reviewed!


	11. To Save Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter gets underway, I just want to apoligise for two things.
> 
> 1) The 24 day wait between the last chapter and this one.
> 
> 2) The cliff-hanger I left for 24 days.
> 
> Hehe, sorry!
> 
> Anyway, on with the chapter.

Cal watched Ethan coming out of CT. It was clear- thank God. So was the chest x-ray. He almost fell to his knees with relief when he realised that Ethan was relativity unharmed. Of course, Ethan wasn't out of the woods yet. He didn't have major injuries, but he still did have a couple of minor injuries.

There was one thing that confused Cal, though. Ethan was knocked unconscious, and his vitals weren't as good as Cal hoped. Yes, he was in a serious RTC, but Ethan had to have something that would result in the signs that displayed something was wrong. Maybe Ethan had minor concussion? That could be possible. But, what could be causing his chest pain? He didn't have any cracked or broken ribs, but he still had trouble breathing. What Cal didn't know was that was to be revealed very soon.

He walked into CT to see how Ethan was doing. Cal could swear his heart literally stopped at the sight of his even paler and unconscious brother. He quickly called for some assistance and tried to rouse him.

"Ethan? Ethan, can you hear me, mate?" Nothing. Cal tapped lightly on the side of his face. Still nothing. Damn (for use of a better word). "Ethan, please?" Cal was getting desperate.

He couldn't bear to lose Ethan.

He couldn't bear to lose his little brother.

"What's happening?" Lofty asked worriedly as he and Ash burst into the room. They both looked shocked to see Ethan go downhill.

"I can't wake him." Cal rushed out, too concerned for his brother to offer any proper explanation. If this was concussion, Ethan's stats wouldn't be as they were. Cal noticed how they had changed slightly, they had gotten worse. "Please." Cal's one word was enough to tell Ash and Lofty that Cal was really desperate, that he really loved Ethan, and that he couldn't lose him.

Cal was vaguely aware that Ethan was being rushed to RECUS, of the concerned and worried glances of the colleagues, and of the sheer panic in his own stupor. It was Ash to snap him out of his own mind.

"Cal!" He called for the third time. Cal seemed to jump and shake himself out of whatever he was thinking. "What are you thinking?" Something was definitely wrong. Call looked at his brother from head to toe. What  _was_  wrong?

"BP falling rapidly." Lofty stated, looking at the monitors. Cal was stuck. He didn't know what was wrong. He would do this with other patients, but there was something about it being your own brother.

"CT was clear, so was the x-ray…" Cal muttered to himself. "He was unconscious, er…I don't know." He admitted finally. Ash didn't answer before he rushed out of the room. Only one person could help- Zoe. He, himself, had no idea what was wrong, and he couldn't do anything anyway for his arm resided in a sling.

He rushed into Connie's room and immediately called on Zoe. He could see the reluctance Zoe had to leave the Clinical Lead, but Zoe got up and went with Ash.

"What's happening?" She asked on their way. It was her understanding that things were already touch and go with the young doctor, but to hear how worried Ash was made her think it was definitely a case of the latter.

"Ethan fell unconscious, his CT scan and x-rays are clear, but his stats are dropping." Ash reeled off. Zoe nodded her understanding and the rest of the way was silent, and a little eerie. They both knew how worried the other one was, and didn't feel the need to speak.

They arrived in RECUS to see Cal pacing up and down, a hand lodged in his hair. They couldn't tell if it was out of worry or frustration. "I can't do it!" He shouted when seeing them enter.

"Calm down Cal." Zoe warned, sympathy seeping through in her tone. "Tell me."

Cal relayed the information, but didn't stop pacing. His shoulders were tight and tense, and his voice screamed panic. "Okay, right, let's think about this…"

"Resp rate still rising, BP dangerously low…" Lofty stated. This was getting worse and worse.

"He had chest pain, unconsciousness, shortness of breath..." Zoe reeled off all the information that she knew, allowing Cal to butt in every so often to give a little more information. They had to get it all classified, they had to get it  _all._ But they just didn't know what was wrong with Ethan.

Then the monitors started being rapidly, making everyone's worry hitch up a notch. "Internal bleed somewhere." Zoe uttered. "Maybe something by his heart?" It was different for Zoe- working to save a colleagues life. Usually, she'd have it in the bag, she'd saved enough lives before. This was different.

It was different for everyone. Their colleague, friend and brother was lying at death's door, and it was up to them to save him.

It was up to them to save Ethan.

"Aortic dissection…" Cal spoke in realisation. He didn't have time to say anymore because Ethan's heart rate flat-lined. It was no longer a case of saving him; it was a case of bringing him back from the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahahahahaha! I bet you never saw that coming! Hahahahaha! *Silently laughing to myself because I realise how cruel that was of me*
> 
> That took so much research. Not going to lie, the research combined was about 3 hours just so I could find something, get it accurate, and write it. It was fun, though. I don't even know if my next chapter will be that correct, but I'm not a doctor and how reliable is the internet anyway?!
> 
> Thoughts on this chapter?


	12. The Monitor's Song

Connie's eyes were shut- she looked like she was sleeping. She was, in a way. If it wasn't for what the monitors played, she could have been.

The long and ominous beep echoed around ITU as the monitors sang their song, signalling that someone's heart had stopped beating. Doctors and nurses ran into the room to see the ED's Clinical Lead as pale as a sheet and not breathing. They immediately started chest compressions on Connie Beauchamp, trying to bring her back to life. They paged her neurological surgeon and continued rounds of CPR and shocks. Everyone had their fingers crossed for Connie, hoping she would pull through.

Guy Self burst into the room- a look of horror graced his usually calm face as he saw what was happening. "She's been down 7 minutes." One of the nurses informed him, looking back at the monitors.

"The bleed might have returned." He mused. "Right, let's get her to surgery." He concluded. And so the CPR and the shocks continued to theatre and throughout while Guy Self and the other doctors and nurses tried to bring Connie back.

It went on and on and on. Hopelessness quickly spread around as one by one, they realised they weren't going to bring her back. Guy Self was the only one who remained positive.

"She's been down 30 minutes, Mr. Self." One of the doctors said. "We aren't going to bring her back." His voice was one of desperation to try and make the CEO see that Connie was gone.

"No. She's not gone until  _I_  call it!" He responded angrily- his brow creased in frustration. He may not be a 'people person', but he wasn't prepared to lose Connie. Not yet. She had bags of life left in her.

"Mr. Self…" The same doctor tried.

"…no!" Guy interrupted. "Carry on!" He saw the white face of Connie and knew they weren't getting anywhere. The realisation dawned on him. She wasn't going to survive. Even if they did manage to resuscitate her- chances are the prognosis wouldn't be good. "Stop." He said calmly. His change of heart was swift. "Is everyone in agreement?" He asked drudgingly. There were various nods and murmurs of the staff agreeing. "Time of death, 13:07." Someone turned off the monitor and silence fell.

Connie Beauchamp was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I WAVE MY WHITE FLAG! SORRY! Now that's out of the way, I'm sorry. The cliff-hanger I left last time will be solved next chapter, but I wanted to put this one in first!
> 
> Sorry it's short, but a longer one should be up soon. Please review!


	13. Safety Net

"Right, start chest compressions." Zoe instructed worriedly as one of the members of the ED staff arrested. Cal knew he had to do this- he had to bring his brother back to life, "Give him two units of O neg." They needed to get that blood in him before he bled out.

Cal knew what was going on. Ethan had a tear in his aorta. If they didn't stop the bleed, Ethan wouldn't make it. Every second that went by was another they lost in the race to bring him back to life. He looked down at his little brother's face- it was as pale as anyone could imagine. He still had blood drying on his face- a stark comparison to his complexion. He looked so innocent and childlike.

Cal continued trying to resuscitate his brother, watching Lofty as he changed the oxygen mask so he could help Ethan try and breathe with the bag and mask, but, it wasn't working. Cal prayed to every deity out there to save his little brother. He wasn't religious, but he was desperate that it would work.

"Pause chest compressions." Zoe told Cal, who drew his hands away and rubbed his face in frustration. He was shaking and heavily out of breath, but what worried him more was the shake of Zoe's head as no pulse was found. "Continue." Cal was a second away from berating Zoe about her seemingly emotionless attitude- but she was a good doctor, and good doctors didn't let their emotions get in the way.

"Right, Ash- can you fast bleep the general surgeons- tell them they're needed here  _now_." Her voice shook as she spoke- they were so close to losing Ethan.

"I can't lose him, Zoe." Cal's eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall at the prospect of living without his little brother. "He's all I have." Zoe nodded sympathetically in understanding. It was amazing how much Dr.  _'call-me-Cal'_  Knight cared for Ethan.

"Okay, I'll take over." She decided, allowing Cal a bit of a breather. Cal would have protested, but he was too tired to carry on. "He's losing too much blood." She sighed. "We can't get it in fast enough." She uttered, energy draining out of here.

"They'll be here in five minutes." Ash told them. He knew, as did everyone else. Five minutes was five minutes too late.

"Right…I'm going to incubate." Zoe decided- choosing to ignore Cal's look of shock. "Tell those surgeons to hurry up!" She continued- not really meaning to raise her voice as she did.

"Can I do it?" Cal asked slowly. Zoe started to shake her head, but Cal continued. "Please. I  _need_  to do this." He was practically begging. Zoe nodded unwillingly and continued chest compressions while Cal prepared.

It was a simple procedure- one that Cal had done many times- so why were his hands shaking so much? Maybe it was the long and ominous beep that echoed around RECUS; maybe it was the timer signalling Ethan's heart hadn't beaten for 15 minutes; maybe it was the pure fact this this was  _his_  little brother. He'd fought so often with Ethan- heck; the last thing he properly said to his brother was something to tease him with. Ethan seemed so dazed; he probably wouldn't remember Cal's feeble attempt to lighten the mood after Ethan was brought in after the RTC.

Cal steadied his hands and went for it. He blocked out everything else- even the fact that he was doing it to his brother. He was incubating a patient- that was all, and what it was.

Zoe watched as Cal performed this tricky procedure on his little brother. Much to her surprised, he seemed calmer that he had ever been with a patient. She half expected him to back out, but he didn't. And, soon, Ethan was incubated and on his way to theatre. The only problem being that his heart hadn't been going in 20 minutes. Zoe knew the surgeons could perform miracles, but maybe this was too much to ask of them...?

Cal blew out a shaky breath as his brother was wheeled away from him. He decided not to follow- he didn't want to see Ethan being put through that. He felt a hand on his shoulder- Lofty.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Cal." The nurse tried to reassure the hunched-shoulders doctor. "He's made of heard stuff." Cal laughed ever so slightly at this. Yes, Ethan was made of hard stuff…slightly…but that didn't stop him clutching his foot and moaning when a piece of Lego made its way in front of Ethan's path. Admittedly, Cal put it there, but the reaction was funny all the same.

Lofty removed his hand and made his way outside of RECUS as he spotted Robyn and Lily. Robyn looked like she'd been told her date of death, and Lily looked completely shell-shocked. He owed them an explanation. Ash followed promptly- leaving Cal and Zoe alone in the place where Ethan previously was.

"What if he dies?" Cal spoke frightfully through a lump in his throat. "What happens then?" Zoe's heart broke at the sheer hopelessness of Cal's expression.

"Think positively Cal." Zoe said gently to him. That's what Cal did- well, tried to do. He tried with all his might to think positively, but it wouldn't work. He'd not been the best brother in the world, but knowing Ethan was always there made him feel safe- like nothing else would. If Ethan was to go, than that safety net would disappear. Ethan was Cal's safety net- that much was certain. Without the safety net, Cal would be doomed to fall.

Time passed slowly for Zoe as she sat in the staffroom- awaiting news on Ethan's condition. She pondered going to sit with the Clinical Lead, but decided against it. The ED staff needed her in the ED. As much as she wanted to keep Connie company- the ED needed her more.

"Guy?!" Zoe spoke in shock as the CEO entered the staffroom. She was confused to see his normally devoid-of-all-emotion face looking utterly miserable. "Is everything alright?" She questioned warily- not really wanting the answer.

"I'm afraid…well…" Guy was stumbling over his words as he tried to choose them carefully- the suspense made Ethan worry even more. "We lost Connie ten minutes ago." Zoe sat in mute shock. She looked over at the clock- realising how much time had actually passes.

"H-how?" Zoe thought she was fine. She'd had life-saving surgery, and was…fine.

"Complications." Guy stated, a mask slipping back onto his face, making him seem untouchable again. "Just to warn you, Connie has a young daughter- Grace." He flashed a small smile in Zoe's direction, before walking out again- aiming to get as far away from the ED as possible.

Zoe had two options. The first one was to keep this time to herself to get her head around the whole thing, and the second to tell the staff- those who had been led by Connie. She decided to tell the staff- they deserved to know as soon as possible, and she doubted Guy would do it. He had a close relationship with Connie- and he already seemed like he was struggling.

She shuffled her feet as she made her way out of the staffroom- calling the staff. There were so many expectant faces looking at her- all about to get some terrible news. Her mind reminded her of the daughter that Guy mentioned. God- that would be hard to tell her. For now, though, she needed to focus on her staff. One was having surgery to bring him back to life, and another had been lost. Holby City ED had been hit hard.

"Right…er…I don't really know how to say this…but…er…there were some…" Zoe decided to use the same word Guy used. "…complications with Connie. She's gone." Her voice cracked and she hoped no one else noticed it. She bowed her head and headed back to the staffroom- she didn't want to see the looks on their faces. It was heart-breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it would be longer! I did kind of ramble a bit on this chapter, so sorry about that! Please review?


	14. No Time Soon

The ED was filled with silence. News travelled quickly around the staff, and they all knew what devastation the crash had caused. The staff just got on with their work. Even the patients seemed to keep quiet- the staff correctly guessed most of them had heard of what happened to the staff.

It was already starting to feel wrong without Connie. Yes, she wasn't very well liked, but she made the ED run, the made everything work as it should. The Ice Queen was no more, and everyone hated it.

Sometime during the day, Connie's daughter had been informed of her mother's death. Her Grandmother was going to bring her up to Holby from Dorset as she was in a boarding school there. Zoe hadn't been told how Grace had taken the news, but any child would be absolutely distraught- that she was sure of.

Everyone was holding back tears for their shift. Not only did the news of Connie's death hit them hard, but everyone was still awaiting news of how Ethan was doing in surgery. Cal couldn't bear to go up there- he couldn't bear to see his little brother- the one he was meant to protect- in such a vulnerable sate. For all Cal knew, he could be dead. Ethan could already be dead.

Cal had failed to resuscitate him- so when Ethan went up to surgery- it was their job to bring him back to life. And, they  _had_  to. The crash had already snatched away one life, and if it was to cruelly snatch away another…

Cal thought, in spite of everything else, that one good thing had come out of it. He wasn't that child's father- that was a sick joke. At least he helped one family out on the day that he could have failed his own.

Cal had dumped his patient notes down on the nurses' station desk. Having no news on his brother's condition was eating him alive, and he was sure he would drop down dead with worry soon enough. But then he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the surgeon that wheeled Ethan away. He had a solemn look on his face. The older brother only thought one thing,  _'please let Ethan be alive'_.

Cal turned to look expectantly at the surgeon- his pleading eyes told it all. The surgeon gestured to the staffroom for some privacy. No one had stepped foot in Connie's office- no one dared, really.

Cal shut the door behind him and the surgeon gestured for him to sit down. He would have protested, but he guessed the news to be delivered would probably make him feel light-headed, and he already did feel faint with the suspense.

"We managed to repair the aorta…" The surgeon informed him- not letting his tone get unprofessional in any way. "But…" He trailed off. This part was always the hardest to tell someone.

"But…what?!" Cal almost demanded. Now he understood how relatives of dead patients felt when the doctors found it had giving bad news. He just hopes the next words wouldn't be, ' _we lost him_.'

"Well, we managed to resuscitate him…but it took some time." Cal breathed a sigh of relief- but he knew something bad was to come. Something bad would always come after the person giving you the news suddenly thrust a glass of water in your shaking hands.

Cal took a sip of the water- letting the cool liquid wash down his throat. The surgeon took a seat next to him and put a comforting hand on his knee. "The thing is, he was starved of oxygen for some time- his brain was starved of oxygen for some time." Cal unknowingly dropped the glass- making water spill all over the floor. He had an idea of what was coming. "As you know, as a doctor yourself, that would put extreme strain on major organs…and indeed on one's mind." Cal's breathing hitched. He knew what was coming. He'd seen it a handful of heart-breaking times. "I'm sorry to say, but Ethan's in ITU, and, well…he's in a…" Cal didn't need to hear the rest. He interrupted the doctor just as he was about to say the last word. Cal wanted to say the last word- it would make it more real to him.

"…coma." The surgeon nodded sadly- choosing to ignore the spilt water on the floor. He saw the doctor- the brother- next to him letting tears fall down his cheeks. He didn't even think that he knew what was happening. His expression had turned blank- only his eyes betraying the utter devastation that rested in his soul.

Sounds dimmed around Cal as he spoke the word. It didn't feel real. To Cal, a coma was the same as death, only you're being kept alive, and no one knew if someone in the coma knew their surroundings. It varied for each person. The worst thing was the fact that the lack of oxygen to Ethan's mind when he was being resuscitated could have caused any level of damage- which they would only know if…no…when he waked up. Cal was certain he would wake up. Ethan couldn't leave him.

Cal wasn't aware of his surroundings- that was plain to see. The surgeon walked out of the staffroom in search of Zoe, and Cal didn't realise. Briefly explaining the situation to the utterly upset Zoe, the surgeon left her to it. After all, she knew Cal better than he did.

Zoe made her way to sit down next to Cal- noticing the dropped glass and the puddle of water on the floor. Cal must have dropped it in shock- she would have done. She could see Cal was trembling as tears spilt down his face mercilessly. Before she was aware of what she was doing, she pulled Cal into an awkward sideways hug.

Cal became aware of everything once he felt someone hug him. It seemed Zoe had replaced the surgeon. He buried his head into Zoe's shoulder and cried. Caleb Knight finally let his emotions take hold as he sobbed his heart out. Not just because of the current situation- but because of everything that had happened since the crash. He cried and cried, shaking wracking his frame as he gave into all the emotions he kept at bay.

Zoe's heart clenched as Cal cried. She'd never seen him so broken before. The news of his brother hit her hard- she could never imagine how it felt for Cal. His little brother was lying in ICU in a coma, and no one knew if he would wake up.

Cal stopped crying after God knows how long, and he pulled away from Zoe, but still looked at her. She had pity in her eyes- and comfort. A sort of sympathetic comfort Cal knew could only be given by her.

"Go and see him." Zoe suggested warmly. Cal could think of doing nothing else. He traipsed up to his brother's room while Zoe told the staff the second lot of bad news for that day.

As Zoe relayed everything the surgeon told her, the desolation on their faces grew more than anyone could possibly picture. Tess, Lily and Ash looked terribly upset. After all, they had been involved in the crash that left one in a coma, and the other gone forever.

This time, Zoe stayed in the group that had gathered, and everyone seemed to be offering silent support to one another. Once again, the patients kept quiet. It wasn't hard to hear what was being said in the unusually quiet ED- and even those off their heads seemed to be calmer. The frequent flyers bowed their heads in sorrow- for they had been treated by Connie and Ethan some of the time they had been in the ED.

Cal sat watching his brother's chest rise and fall mechanically. Once again, letting the tears spill over and drip down his cheeks. He took his brother's hand in his own- reassuring himself in the process of doing so. Cal never wanted to let go for fear that Ethan would disappear and never return.

Cal spoke a few tear-filled words to his brother, not bothering about the shakiness in his voice. "You know what, Eth?" He asked rhetorically. "You're all I've got." He admitted. "You're the only family I have left. We'll always have each other's back- and you always have mine." Cal struggled to keep his voice together- it seemed it would break at any moment. "Just, please come back, Ethan. I can't live without knowing you aren't there. I can't do this without my safety net." For the first time, Cal poured his heart out. With one final breath, he told the unconscious Ethan his true feelings. "I love you, Ethan." His voice finally cracked under the strain as he sobbed into his brother's sheets- bearing his head deep into the bed as he cried once again.

To say the ED seemed different was an understatement. Nothing seemed right with the world after the crash that caused so much destruction. One thing was for certain- normality wouldn't return anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the longest chapter posted on 'Seatbelt'- excluding all the Authors Notes I have made! I had so much fun writing this. (Okay, not in a I-like-writing-depressing-stuff way.)
> 
> A fantastic discovery was made tonight. This is going to sound bad- I bet all of you know this anyway, but I originally thought GCS was some random thing and I never knew what it actually was. I discovered it stood for Glasgow Coma Scale. I never thought to link the two. No wonder I never thought Casualty used the Glasgow Coma Scale. I literally thought they were two separate things, little did I know that GCS was an abbreviation of Glasgow Coma Scale. I've always known what the Glasgow Coma Scale was, though- just not the abbreviation...whoops!
> 
> This story has come to an end, but I am writing something to follow this- I'm hoping to pre-write a lot of it considering I am so unreliable while writing as I post it! Anyway, thank you for those who followed, favourited and thank you to HethanHardy, CBloom2, Becs2202, xXxAnInspiredWriterxXx, Glittergirl12, teeloganroryflan, Tanith Panic, MINNIE4114, niamhmcshane22, PringleScoop, Gillian Kearney Fan, CasualtyFanForever81, Casualty Persona, BookwormBudgie, Torchwood Cardiff, TheAtomicCheesepuff, GypsyAbby, ProfessorElk, weasyallen, Lainey, The Ice Queen86 and to the guests for reviewing. You're support made me continue writing! May I ask one thing of you, to review one final time? Haha!
> 
> Thank you again!
> 
> ETWentHome

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this chapter has been written for god knows how long, but the rest of the story hasn't! Oh well, looks like I shall write it as I go along!
> 
> I'm trying out this new layout, as well as naming chapters. Is it better?
> 
> Please review and tell me what you think of this first chapter!


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